Support Efforts to Legalize Same-Sex Adoption in Michigan

Petitions, Politics — By Rachel Milani on January 26, 2012 6:25 am

Target: Michigan lawmakers

Goal: Overturn the ban on adoption for same-sex couples

Efforts to overturn a ban on same-sex adoption in Michigan are rapidly growing. April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse are a lesbian couple who reside in the state. They have been in a committed relationship for more than 10 years and have devoted themselves to raising three children. These children were adopted out of the foster care system after failed attempts at in vitro fertilization methods and private adoption. The catch is, Michigan has a ban against the adoption of children by couples who are the same sex due largely to laws against the marriage between such couples. This means that only one of these women can be the legal parent of each child, leaving the other with zero rights including medical and legal decisions, despite the fact that they are raising them together. This ban on same-sex adoption is unfair and must be overturned. DeBoer and Rowse’s lawyers are making the argument that “Michigan’s Adoption Code violates the right to equal protection under the U.S. Constitution”, according to the Huffington Post.

Gay rights are becoming more widespread and accepted every year which means that this policy is increasingly outdated. Same-sex couples deserve the same rights as any heterosexual committed union, especially when children are concerned. The parent who did not technically adopt their child cannot even take the child to the doctor because the legal guardian must be the one to sign paperwork. In the worst case scenario, should something happen to the parent who has legally adopted the couple’s child, the other parent would have no chance at custody. This is putting the welfare of an entire family at stake, as it essentially means that the child would lose not just one parent but both, and any siblings, if their legal guardian were to pass away. Tell Michigan legislators that this absurd law must be overturned for the sake of the children and the rights of committed same-sex couples who wish to raise a family. If this civil rights case is successful, dissolving the ban on same-sex adoption in Michigan would also be a step forward for the federal “Every Child Deserves A Family Act” which would make it illegal to discriminate in adoption and foster care placement based on the sexual orientation and marital status of a couple anywhere in the nation.

PETITION LETTER

Dear Michigan lawmakers,

The recent civil rights lawsuit filed by a lesbian couple seeking to overturn the ban against same-sex couples to adopt children must lead to new legislation on the matter. These women are the prime example of why this law is outdated and unjust. They have been committed to one another for over a decade and more recently to raising three children together, all of whom would be in the foster care system otherwise. There is no reason why both of these women should not have the legal rights of a parent since there is no denying that is what they both are to these children.

Please make it legal for same-sex couples to adopt children together. They are just as capable and loving as a heterosexual couple and deserve the right to raise a family. It is not the government’s right to say that such a large percentage of the state’s population should be denied the right to be a “legal” parent. Do the right thing and support changes in Michigan law. This will also put us one step closer to federal legislation based on the “Every Child Deserves A Family Act” which will make it illegal to discriminate against potential adoptive parents based on marital status and sexual orientation anywhere. We are living in the 21st century and it’s time to finally ditch the old prejudices and usher in a more enlightened era of humanity.

Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]